Ultimate Reality + This Sunday!
Lift your eyes: seeing ultimate reality in Christ
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).
Here’s how a passage like this helps us. We live our days mired in the details of life. We go to work, take the kids to school or go to school ourselves, do our chores, watch TV, and so on. Throughout our day, we are bombarded with news and information—“big deal” things. We walk around with our heads down. We look at our screens. We look at what’s in front of us. The stuff of life starts to weigh heavy upon us. Our vision gets small and focused. Before long, we start defining our life according to what we see in front of us. That can lead to several problems. Small things become big things. Anxiety grows. Wrong, inflated (or deflated) views of ourselves increase. We start to define life on our terms. The more inward-focused we get, the more out of focus ultimate reality gets. We begin to believe something other than Jesus is at the center of the universe.
A passage like Colossians 1:15-17 confronts us with a God so big and mighty and glorious that we start to rethink what really matters. We begin to see that ultimate reality is not what we make it; ultimate reality is who Jesus is, and he’s glorious beyond all other things. He’s the reason for all things. There would be no other things if they weren’t held together in him.
So when your thoughts shift to other things, remember Jesus Christ. He’s the best thing.
THIS SUNDAY AT IMMANUEL
SUNDAY: Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. or 10:45 a.m. as we continue our sermon series, The Gospel According to Genesis!
SUNDAY SEMINARS
9 AM: Student Seminar (grades 5-12) in the gymnasium
9 AM: Studying the Bible Together, led by Dr. Tom Cox, studying the book of Romans in Sadler Hall (through the breezeway and the red double doors)
10:45 AM: - Church History for Beginners, led by Dr. Gavin Ortlund in Sadler Chapel
Last Word seminar will resume on Sunday, 3/23, in Sadler Chapel
ON THE HORIZON
Launching Good News at Rock Bottom - This upcoming Wednesday night, we have the joy of celebrating the release of Good News at Rock Bottom, a new book from our founding pastor, Ray Ortlund. Born out of last year’s Wednesday night teaching, this book is a reminder that Jesus meets us in the depths of our need. Join us in Sadler at 6:30 PM as Ray shares more about the heart behind the book, followed by a time for Q&A. We hope you’ll come and be encouraged by the good news of Christ’s presence with us—even at rock bottom.
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